Format: Book
**This is book one in the Taker trilogy**
While working the midnight shift at a rural Maine hospital, Dr. Luke Findley encounters Lanore McIlvrae, a young woman suspected of murdering a man in the woods. As Luke attempts to tend to Lanore (Lanny), Lanny begins to tell a strange tale about her past. As a young girl in the nineteenth century, Lanny fell in love with the son of the town's founder. Her efforts to keep the two of them together forever envelops them in dangerous peril and a lifetime of changes. Two centuries later, she turns to Luke for help; Luke finds himself so enthralled by her that he will do anything to help her, even if it means changing his own life forever.
Though at times the narrative did drag a bit, overall, I was captivated by the book and its premise. Katsu's writing style had me hooked from page one, and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next to the characters. Sympathy I did not have for most of the characters, as their own selfish reasons led them to their predicaments, but their flaws made the storyline. And, the twists at the end have made me anxious to read the second book in the trilogy, The Reckoning.
It is rather hard to classify The Taker into one genre - it contains elements of the paranormal, romance, historical fiction, fantasy and thriller. Readers who enjoy any of these elements may want to read this book. Some of the scenes are graphic, so readers who do not enjoy these type of scenes may want to pass on this book.
Reviewed by Jessica
